President Donald Trump is demanding an apology from Bishop Mariann Budde after she used a sermon to urge him to “have mercy” on immigrants and LGBTQ+ children.
The newly sworn-in president took to his Truth Social platform on Wednesday (January 22) to criticise the bishop’s remarks during the National Prayer Service, calling her a “Radical Left hard-line Trump hater” and accusing her of bringing politics into the church “in a very ungracious way.”
“She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” Trump wrote. “She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!”
During her sermon, Bishop Budde spoke passionately about the challenges facing immigrants and LGBTQ+ youth, particularly those living in fear under current policies.
“There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” she said.
Addressing immigration, she highlighted the contributions of undocumented workers:
“The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labour in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals – they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” she said, describing them as “good neighbours” who pay taxes and are active in religious communities.
Appealing directly to Trump, she urged him to show mercy to vulnerable families.
“I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here,” she said.
Quoting scripture, she reminded listeners: “Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.”